Tooth-brush holder.



No. 835,732. PATENTED Nov. 13, 1906.

W. B. LAWRENCE.- TOOTH BRUSH HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED 00124. 1905;.

[Memo-o UNITED STATES PATENT GFFIUE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed 0mm- 24, 1905. strain). 284,187.

To all w/tont, it may concern.'

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. LAW- RENCE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minersville, in the county of Schuylki l and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth-Brush Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is designed for the production of an improved tooth-brush holder, the pri mary object of which is to provide a device of this kind upon which tooth-brushes of varying sizes, may be supported in such. a

manner that the bristle or active portion of the brush is completely protected from dust water, and other foreign particles, while at the same time it is in free communication with the air, so that it may readily dry out after it has been used.

The invention consists of a support or back plate and a housing secured thereto Within which the brush is inserted and held, the u per end of said housing being closed and the lower end 0 en.

Italso consistso a support or back plate, a tube secured there to, into which the brush is adapted to be inserted, the upper end of said. tube being closed and the lower end open, and a spring in said tube for retaining the brush in place;

'It alsoconsists in certain features and details of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings forming part of the specification, Figure 1 is an elevation of a toothbrush holder embodying my invention and showing a tooth-brush in place therein. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same with the brush removed. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the spring employed.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the difierentviews.

In the form of my invention hercinshown, represents a back plate or support, provided with openings 2 near its upper and lower ends, respectively, through which screws or other form of securing devices may be passed for attaching the same to a wall or other fixture. Secured to the front side of the plate 1 is a housing 3 for the tooth-brush. This has been-shown in the form of a glass tube having its upper end closed and. its lower end open and which when the device as -a whole is in place is vertically disposed.

substituted for that shown.

The said tube is removably connected to the back plate 1, so that it may be readily disconnected at any time for the purpose of cleaning it. A convenient mea s of mounting the tube or housing 3 upon the back plate 1 is illustrated in the drawings, although I do not wish to be limited thereto, as it is obvious that dill'erent means of connection may be" The means illustrated comprises a metal cap 4, which fits over the upper end of the tube 3 and has a loop 5 formed in its side flange, which we tends through an opening in the plate 1 and through Which a securing-pin 6 passes. A ring 7 embraces the lower end of the tube 3 and is secured to the plate 1 in the same manner that the cap 4 is secured thereto. The said ring 7 is provided with an annular flange 8 around its lower edge, upon which the tube rests and is supported when the parts of the device aie assembled.

Cooperating with the parts above enumerated is a spring 9, which is located within the tube 3 and serves to hold the brush in place whe-nthe latter is inserted into the tube. Any suitable form of s 'iring may be employed; but I prefer to use a spring oi. the form illustrated in the drawings, which consists of a wire secured at its ends to a disk 10 and bent so as to form two parallel arms 1 1 11 and a connectingpiec'e .12 at the lower ends of said arms. The disk 10 fits and is secured within the cap 4, the same being located between the upper end of the tube and the top or cover portion of said cap. The spring 9 extends down into the tube 3 and preferably projects below its lower end,

(Tonstructcd as above described, it will be seen that in order to support a tooth-brush it is merely necessary to insert the head or bristle end of the brush into the lower end of the tube or housing 25, when the same will be acted upon by the spi ing 9 and be prevented from accidental rr-nnoval. When in place, the brush. is completely housed and protected from dust, water, and other foreign substances, while at the same time, by reason of the fact that the lower end of the tube 3 is open, the bri tles are enabled to dry out by being in l'rce communication with the ati-nosphere. By reason oi the peculiar shape of the spring 9 it will be seen that no matter in What position the brush may be inserted into the tube 3 it will still be acted upon by said spring and be pr -rented from accidental removal.

.l. have illustrated and described but one tube or housing as being mounted upon't e back plate 1. It is obvious, however, that any number of said tubes may be secured. to said back plate by merely increasing the dimensions of said plate. The device may thus be made so that it is capable of supporting any number of brushes at the same time.

To remove the tube 3 for the purpose of cleaning it, it is merel necessary to disconnect the pin by means of which the ring 7 is secured to the plate 1 when said ring and said tube may both be detached from their support. Reassembling of the parts will of course call for a mere reversal of this operation.

While the spring 9 or some equivalent thereof is desirable in order to adapt the de vice for holding tooth-brushes of different sizes, it Will be obvious that such spring may in some=instances be dispensed udth and the brush supported in some suitable manner--- for instance, by the frictional contact between the bristles thereoif and the inner surface of the tube 3. In such case, however, it would. be necessar v that a comparatively close iit be obtained between the tube 3 and the brush which. it is to receive.

The upper end of the tube or housing 3 has been described as closed. This term has been used in a relative sense, however, as it is obvious that the cap a need not be completely closed.

Having described my invention, 1 claim- 1. A tooth-brush holder comprising a support, and a tube secured thereto, the lower end of the tube being open for the reception of the brush, and the tube being supported independently of the brush. l

2. A tooth-brush holder comprising a support, a tube secured thereto, for the reception of the brush, and a spring for retaining" the brush in said tube, the latter being supported independently of the brush.

3. A tooth-brush holder comprising a supporting-plate, a tube removablv secured thereto tor the reception of the brush, and a cap for the upper end of said tube.

. 4. A tooth-brush hold er comprising a supporting-plate, a tube rem ovably secured sear-s2 thereto for the reception of the brush, a cap for the upper end of said tube, and a spring Within said -tube for retaining the brush in place. 1

5. A. tooth-bru sh holder comprising a supporting-plate, a vertically-disposed tube on the front of said plate for the reception of the brush, a cap covering said tube and secured to said plate, and a ring embracing the lower end of said tube and removably connected'to said plate, the said ring having an annular flange on which said tube is supported.

6. A tooth-brush holder comprising a supporting-plate, a vertically-disposed tube on the front of said plate for the reception of the brush, a cap covering said. tube and secured to said plate, a ring embracing the lower end oi said tube and rein ovably connected to said plate, the said ring having an annular flange on which said tube is supported, and a spring for retaining the brush in place in said tube.

7. A tooth-brush holder comprising a sup porting-plate, a vertically-disposed tube on the front of said plate for the reception of the brush, a cap covering said tube and secured to said plate, a ring embracingthe lower end of sai ;l tube and removably connected to said plate, the said ring having an annular flange on which said tube is supported, and a spring extending down into said tube for retaining the brush in. place.

8. A tooth bru'sh holder comprising a supporting-plate, a vertically-disposed tube on the front of said plate for the reception of the brush, a cap covering said tube and secured to said plate, a ring embracing the lowerend of said tube and remov'ably connected to said plate, the said ring having an annular flange on which said tube is supported, a disk, secured Within said cap and a spring for retaining the brush in place secured to said disk, the said spring having two parallel arms and a connecting-piece between said arms at their lower ends.

In Witness whereof I subscribe my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

. VVILLIAIJ E. LAVVREN'CE.

"a itnesses:

WM. M. S'rocKBnmon, P. B. German. 

